Compact Tractors W/ Grapple

[oosik]

And now my song and dance about upgrading your OEM grill guard. With a grapple - the chances of damage to your radiator, grill or battery increase substantially. You will be gathering and transporting loads of limbs, sticks, stobs, crap - etc. Simply being very careful isn't going to cut it. Having the local welding shop upgrade my grill guard cost me - $175. Sticks and limbs have become stuck in mine. So - I know its protective function is working. Picture......

 

[oosik]

BTW- my M6040 has 775 pounds of RimGuard in each rear tire and my 1050 pound Rhino rear blade on the 3-point. Sufficient for me to routinely lift 2500 pounds with the grapple. And - rarely, under the right conditions - up to 3200 pounds.

 

[tacticalturnip]

I'm another happy WR Long user.

Have the tractors hydraulics plumbed when you buy it, it'll never be easier and potentially cheaper than lumping it into the final sale.

 

[Racenut]

A grapple is the whole reason I started considering a tractor. I saw one being used and decided it would be incredibly useful. And it has been. Loaders usually come with a bucket but a dealer may be willing to deal. My grapple is on the tractor 95% of the time but I wouldn't want to not have a bucket, it comes in handy sometimes. Get a real 3rd function, if you use it a lot, it really makes it easier.

 

[Thomas]

Ask the dealer if you can swap,bucket will come handy on number of projects tho.
Counter balance loaded tires for the grapple also bucket better traction also safer.

 

[ning]

Last time I was on the kubota website doing the "build your tractor" I'm pretty sure the bucket is a line item that you can leave off, though perhaps it was just "choose at least one" of the following as they have different buckets you can buy the tractor with. I'd imagine that the dealer would be able to leave it off the build sheet, particularly if you buy the grapple from them.

Personally I suspect if you get a loader and a grapple, you're going to find relatively soon that you really wouldn't mind having a bucket, too. And forks. And...

 

[HamishMacCheap]

oosik =

Your tractor photo is exactly what I have in mind, although it is not a compact tractor.

I think I want a compact tractor with less than 25 HP (maybe 23 or 24 HP) so that I can avoid emissions controls. I have a JD 304D and it has diesel particulate filter (or whatever it is called) and although it doesn't particularly bother me, I think it is just something else to go wrong.

Thanks to all who contributed, the comments are helpful and appreciated.

 

[paulsharvey]

Keep in mind grapples are heavy generally, and with something like a BX or a JD-2025, you aren't starting with much lift capacity. 1023 lbs at the pins, then a 610# standard duty, 5 ft grapple; you have less than 400# usable capacity. Some of the "Economy" 48" models are right around 400lbs, leaving around 600# in capacity.

 

[tacticalturnip]

My Kioti sits under the DPF limit and is amongst the largest tractors that do. Basically all the manufacturers sell a machine in this class. Examples include the TYM 2515, Kubota L2502, and Deere 3025E.

Machines in this frame size will give you the hydraulic capability of their 30-40 horsepower brothers with the simplicity of no DPF; on the flip side, they do everything a little slower. This may be something to consider given your primarily concern is loader work; they'll all take a 3rd function kit.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I added the third function to my Kioti. I'm not a mechanic but watched some you tubes, read some helps and it took me about 2 hrs if I remember correctly. I LOVE my grapple. The bucket... not so much. It is useful for hauling/moving gravel around and scraping my driveway.

I opted to build a 1000# ballast box. 55 gallon barrel , I stuffed I think it was two 4" pvc pipes into the concrete I filled it with. Put a cap on it to keep rain water out. Its heavy and works great. I didn't want to use ballast in the tires as I didn't want to compact the soil in my vineyard/orchard/garden etc. I can take it off when its not needed.

Second the motion about the grill guard. I pushed a limb through my lower radiator hose outlet on the radiator.